


How the Mighty Have Fallen

by lexabean



Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, Happy Ending, Ikaros is the MVP, Major Character Injury, Mythology References, Phoebe lives, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-06 21:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18396803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lexabean/pseuds/lexabean
Summary: Six years after the death of Thaletas, Kyra's life on Mykonos is again disrupted by evil forces encroaching on her shores. People have been disappearing across Southern Greece and when the phenomenon reaches the Silver Islands, so does a mysterious misthios with a message for the Archon. Kyra must set aside her pride and aid the misthios to bring an end to the cruel work of a new evil that calls itself the Order of the Ancients as they pillage the Greek World in search of what they call "tainted ones."





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! I'm excited to share this new idea with everyone and I hope you like it and let me know what you think. Just gonna clarify some things for the story: In this fic, there is no Staff of Hermes (mortality makes life more exciting amirite?) and it takes place after the defeat of the Cult of Kosmos. I originally wanted to write a fix-it fit for that horrendous DLC so Kassandra is dealing with the Order of the Ancients here though Darius and Natakas don't exist and she's hunting the Oder down on her own terms. Also, I've decided to resurrect Phoebe and she's about 17 or 18 in this story. Lastly, I took some liberties with a Greek myth to make it fit the story so apologies in advanced if I've ruined your favorite niche Greek myth. Enjoy!

It had been an unbearably long day on Mykonos Island. The unrelenting summer rays of the sun were finally being swallowed up by the horizon, but their heat would linger until morning before peaking again, when the sun emerged from the eastern mountains, stronger, brighter, and hotter than the day before. 

 

_ The gods have cursed us _ , Kyra thought bitterly as she watched the sun disappear. Clicking her tongue and tugging on the reins, Kyra nudged her foot against her mare, urging her up and over the next barren hill. Kyra was accompanied by two guards as she continued towards her destination. The horses’ hooves stirred dust into the air as they trotted along the dirt path barely distinguishable now from the once vibrant farm land. It hadn’t rained well for he past two years and the soil was drying up, refusing to breathe life into any seeds her people planted. Mykonos and Delos were not large islands but they had always been self-sufficient since she could remember. No rain, no food, no drachme flowing into the markets. It was a miserable mess. Not to mention the war seemed to be getting worse everyday and the Spartans had been reporting that their troops were going missing. 

 

Kyra wrote off the disappearing soldiers as deserters. The war had cost both sides dearly, especially in the last three years and with no end in sight, many were growing tired of the bloodshed. 

 

Today was particularly solemn in the Archon’s heart. It had been six years to the day since Thaletas had left her. Murdered by someone she thought she loved, loved her. 

 

_ “Leave! Leave and never come back!” Kyra yelled at Kassandra. _

 

_ “Please, Kyra, let me explain. I didn’t mean to! Thaletas challenged me and I—“ Kassandra’s eyes were wide and desperate. She begged Kyra to hear her out, but even as the words left her mouth, the Eagle Bearer realized nothing she said could ever justify or excuse what happened on that beach.  _

 

_ “No!” Kyra shouted. She paused, taking in a deep breath through her nostrils, steeling herself as the anger in her body turned to grief. Thaletas, she thought solemnly. “Leave this island, misthios.” She turned her back to Kassandra as tears began to form in her eyes. She would not see her cry, “Leave and never come back. If I ever see you on my shores again, I will strike you down where you stand.” Kyra’s words struck Kassandra like a mighty blow to the chest. The air was suddenly too dense, too thick to breathe in. Kyra waited for Kassandra to counter, to fight her on this, but it never came. She suddenly became aware of how silent it was in the balcony. Hesitantly, she turned back around but was met with an empty breeze. Kassandra was gone.  _

 

_ Kyra roared as she took a nearby potted plant and threw it against the ground where the misthios had been standing just seconds earlier. Part of her was angry that Kassandra had complied so easily, as Kyra reconsidered how satisfying it would have been to break her nose. Collapsing to her knees, Kyra held her head in her hands and sobbed. _

 

“We are here, Archon.” Said one of her guards. Kyra’s mind snapped back to the present, startled as she realized they were, in fact,  _ here _ . She reached down to pet her mare’s neck for comfort.  _ Here _ , was a secret altar Kyra had made for Thaletas. It sat atop a hill on the eastern part of the island overlooking the sea. It was neatly hidden away from prying eyes but occasionally, others would come to leave offerings since the altar also praised Athena. It was Kyra’s way of mourning privately. Any passerby would assume the Archon was praying to the goddess but no one could know that buried below the small icon of the altar was the helmet of Thaletas.

 

Kyra sighed and turned to her guards. The night was growing cooler and it’s shadows darker under the bright light of the full moon, “Thank you for escorting me, gentlemen. You may return to the compound. I’d like some time alone.” Her soldiers looked hesitant at each other before one spoke.

 

“With all due respect, Archon, we don’t think you shouldn’t stay out here alone. Given the recent disappearances, we don’t know who might be out there. We can wait at a respectable distance at the bottom of the hill if it pleases you.” He suggested.

 

Kyra eyed them both before conceding, “Fine. But don’t complain if I’m out here far longer than you expected.” The soldiers bowed their heads respectfully at her before turning on their steeds to wait at the bottom of the hill. 

 

As they disappeared over the barren path, Kyra dismounted her mare and took the pouch from her saddle bag. Walking over to the altar, Kyra knelt down and set the contents of the pouch in front of her, “Sorry I’m late,” she said to the altar, “your comrades kept me up negotiating supply rations.” In front of her, Kyra had set up a polished wooden plate of cheese and bread. “I hope you’re hungry.” Satisfied with her work, the archon closed her eyes and tried to envision Thaletas were there with her, smiling his boyish smile at her. Kyra’s lips tugged upward at the thought of the familiar sparkle in his eyes. It helped to remember him this way, instead of how she’d found him at the beach after kicking Kassandra off the island.

 

_ My Thaletas _ , she thought nostalgically. She focused in on the calming sounds of the summer night, taking in the singing of crickets, the rustling of the leaves against the warm breeze, and even the distant howl of a wolf pack. Among those sounds was a new one, a fluttering of wings that belonged to a much larger bird than those normally flying around Mykonos. Quizzically she opened her eyes and looked up to investigate the sound. Above her head circled a large bird of prey. The brightness of the moon made it impossible to see more than a large black figure in the sky. It cried out and Kyra couldn’t help but feel it’s eyes on her. The bird tucked it wings and descended, and Kyra was able to make out its brown and black plumage as it neared. She’d only seen this coloring once before. 

 

“Ikaros?” Kyra whispered in disbelief. She knit her eyebrows together in confusion, watching as the brown eagle perched himself on the bare branch of a nearby tree. He took a moment to ponder her before fluttering his wings at her and letting out a mighty screech.

 

Kyra squared her shoulders and instinctively took a step back. If Ikaros was here, it could only mean a certain  _ misthios _ wasn’t too far behind. Kyra clenched her jaw and fists. If Kassandra really was stupid enough to come back to Mykonos, Kyra would make sure she would regret it. 

 

From a distance, the unmistakable sound of hurried footsteps dashing across the dirt road approached the altar. They sounded lighter than she remembered but Kyra readied herself nonetheless. The footsteps grew louder and closer and Kyra’s rage grew with them. 

 

10 meters…

8 meters…

6 meters… 

 

Kyra let out a mighty battle cry as she swiftly drew her throwing dagger from her left hip belt, and in one swift movement, turned around and launched it at the throat of the approaching _ malákas  _ Eagle Bearer. The force drew up dust and dirt from the dry earth below her feet but she saw a bright orange spark through the clouds and heard the familiar  _ clang! _ of colliding metal.

 

“ _ Malákas! _ ” A young female voice cried, “I’m not an enemy! Don’t attack!” She coughed harshly, dirt filling her mouth and lungs. 

 

Kyra gasped, all rage and anger gone in the blink of an eye.  _ Good gods! Please tell me I didn’t just attack a civilian!  _ Kyra thought, as she rushed forward. The dust around the mysterious figure cleared and instead of tall mighty Kassandra, Kyra was met with the sight of a teenager, about her height and skin tone, with her sword held up defensively.  _ Takes skill to block that effectively,  _ Kyra thought cautiously. Keeping her distance, Kyra watched as the stranger gave one final cough to clear the dust from her lungs and rubbed her eyes, “Are you mad? What are you doing running up behind me like that?” Kyra scolded, “How did you get past my guards? Explain yourself.” She demanded more forcefully, sternly pointing her finger at the stranger. 

 

Still rubbing one eye, the girl glowered up at her, “My name is Phoebe, I come seeking the Archon, Kyra. Please, it is of the highest urgency.” The look in her eyes was sincere, Kyra judged. 

 

Softening her glare but still on guard, Kyra spoke, “I am Kyra,” She paused, “but I am afraid I am in no position to provide you aid.” She turned around to look out past the balcony of the altar, “These Spartan leeches are seizing more and more supplies to feed their damned war.” She turned back to Phoebe who finally regained her bearings, “And the recent drought has us saving every bread crumb and olive pit we have. I’m afraid you made this journey in vain, child.” 

 

Phoebe crossed her arms in front of her chest, an all too familiar gesture to Kyra, “First of all, I am no  _ child _ ,” She said sternly. Lifting her chin and placing her hands at her hips, Phoebe puffed out her chest like a proud lion cub, “I am a  _ misthios _ ,” At this, Kyra rolled her eyes, “And second, I am not here for supplies.” Her shoulders slumped slightly and she turned her gaze solemnly to the side, “Kassandra is in great danger. She has been captured by the --” Phoebe stopped abruptly when she noticed the Archon immediately started to walk away at the mention of Kassandra’s name. “Hey!” She demanded angrily, “This is the Eagle Bearer I speak of!” Phoebe called out to her, before deciding to march after Kyra. Kassandra was in danger, and by the gods she did not come all this way to be ignored. “Or do you not remember?” She challenged, “The Eagle Bearer, the one who helped free these islands from the cold bloody hands of Podarkes! The one who helped you save your home! The one who--!”

 

Kyra had enough. She turned on her heel and fisted up the collar of Phoebe’s chiton as the girl had bumped into her abrupt stop, yanking her close within inches of her face, “Listen carefully,  _ misthios _ ,” Kyra said through gritted teeth, “The Eagle Bearer has no allies on this island so whatever mess she has gotten into this time, she will just have to murder her way out of it like she does everything else.” The Archon released Phoebe’s collar with a slight push and the girl took a step back, “That brute leaves death in her wake, wherever she goes and I don’t want to be a part of it again.” Kyra regained some of her composure, relaxing her voice as she realized how young Phoebe was, “I suggest you reconsider who you are working with, before her meddling costs you your life, too.” 

 

Phoebe was speechless. When Barnabas said there was history between Kyra and Kassandra, she couldn’t have imagined it was this kind of history.  _ Kassandra, is there a woman in all of Greece that isn’t mad at you? _ Phoebe wondered. No matter, she would not be defeated. Kyra seemed satisfied with leaving Phoebe to mull over her words of advice and began to walk away again.  _ It’s now or never _ , the young misthios thought. 

 

“I know why people on your islands have been going missing.” Phoebe called out. The Archon paused but didn’t turn around, “And I know who is behind it.” It seemed she’d gotten Kyra’s attention so she continued, “I’m sure you are familiar with the Cult of Kosmos, but have you heard of the Order of the Ancients?” 

  
At this, the Archon turned to face Phoebe who couldn’t hide a satisfied smirk from tugging at the corner of her lips, “Speak true,  _ misthios. _ ” Kyra ordered. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome to chapter 2! Woo! Thanks to all who took a moment to leave a comment and/or kudos, its very encouraging to see people appreciate the idea. Hope you enjoy!

_Pephka, weeks ago._

 

Darkness settled across Pephka as clouds blew across the star-filled summer sky. Rain was surely to come in the next few days but these clouds also meant the perfect cover for two figures hidden away in the night.

 

Phoebe sat cross-legged on the ground of a slope shaded by a small canopy of trees. Her head was slouched against her palm as she drew stick figures into the dirt in front of her with a twig she found not too long ago. She could barely see what she was drawing but anything was better than another dull hour of this scouting mission. “Ugh!” she groaned, tossing her twig into the bushes, “Kassandra, we’ve been out here for _days_. Why haven’t we made a move yet?” Phoebe impatiently demanded.

 

Kassandra smacked her lips from her place against a tree behind her young protege, “Must I really remind you of the virtues of having a bit of patience,” she responded sternly. Stepping into the dim moonlight, she gave Phoebe a hard look. Kassandra wore her hood up, the fabric meant to cover the bottom half of her face neatly pushed down like a scarf against her neck.

 

“ _A bit_? It’s day six of stale bread and rocks under my ass,” she snapped, shaking a rough stone in her mentor’s direction. Kassandra’s glare was unrelenting. “We know where they are keeping their prisoners and we know there’s a backdoor entrance. What are we waiting for?”

 

“We know what now?” Kassandra half chuckled, “We know they have prisoners, we do not know where exactly they are.” She received no response so she continued, “This isn’t a camp of a few dozen drunken bandits, Phoebe.” Kassandra reminded, “This is Fort Lato, and it is patrolled by some of Sparta’s best soldiers.” She walked up next to Phoebe and squatted next to her, “If they have even the slightest suspicion of a security breach, they will light the brazier and all of this work will have been for nothing.” They both looked across the small valley leading up to the mighty fort. “And as long as the Order is protected by the Spartans, we will have to be cautious of both.” She turned her gaze upward, searching the skies for her feathered friend, “The back door entrance is too well guarded to tackle directly. We must wait for Ikaros and see if he’s found another way in.”

 

Phoebe pondered, allowing herself to take in Kassandra’s words of caution for a time. “Do you think we will still be able to watch a match at the arena before we leave?” She asked, moving on.

 

An amused smirk tugged at Kassandra’s lips, “If there’s one thing you can count on in Pephka, its that there will always be two brutes willing to pummel each other for drachme in that arena.”

 

Phoebe looked up at her quizzically, “Didn’t you fight in the arena once?”

 

Kassandra’s head snapped to look at Phoebe skeptically, “Who told you that?”

 

The young warrior gave a toothy smile and crossed her arms, “You did, just now.” She remarked with a self-satisfied tone. “Now I have permission to sign up.”

 

“What? No, that doesn’t give you--” Kassandra was about to argue when Ikaros let out a familiar chirp as he circled above them before descending to land on Kassandra’s head. He looked down and tapped his beak twice on her forehead before taking off again. “There are better ways to let me know things, Ikaros.” She grumbled. Phoebe chuckled next to her as Kassandra glared up at him, watching him fly back in the direction of the fort. “Come on.” She patted the younger girl’s leg, urging Phoebe to follow her.

 

Under the cover of night, the two mercenaries quietly approached the large stone formations supporting Fort Lato. Upon nearing the large rocks, they noticed the crack in the wall covered haphazardly by vines and other vegetation. “I’ll make sure to give you a good meal tonight.” Kassandra remarked towards Ikaros, who ruffled his feathers and took off again.

 

Phoebe's full attention was on what could be beyond the stone entrance. Kassandra took hold of the girl's arm to get her attention, “Keep your guard up and stay close. Don’t make a move unless I tell you to and if anything goes wrong, you run.” She made sure to look Phoebe in the eyes as she gave her instructions, “Got it?”

 

The younger warrior bit back the words of protest bubbling in her throat and conceded to giving a strong nod of understanding. “Got it.” she replied.

 

Kassandra pulled up the fabric of her shroud to cover her face and allowed Phoebe to enter the cave first. It was dark inside but the gentle glow of firelight in the distance indicated the depth of the cavern. They proceeded quietly through the narrow tunnel, the light growing brighter as they approached. Deep voices echoed into the tunnel, possibly indicating numerous soldiers in an open space. As they approached, the voices became more distinguishable, and Kassandra momentarily worried about the integrity of her armor. An earlier encounter with another mercenary damaged her favorite chestplate, so she would have to settle for basic _misthios_ armor that mostly covered her shoulders until the blacksmith had made repairs. If things went according to plan, she wouldn’t have to worry about that too much.

 

The pair came to a stop behind some rocks near a man-made wooden platform. Attached to it was a ladder leading down into a large open area within the mountain. Peering over the edge, Phoebe turned to glance at Kassandra, holding up a hand signal. Nine soldiers, she counted. The prisoners were in the cave as well.

 

They waited patiently, taking in the cave’s environment. A few soldiers were gathered around the fire, sharpening their weapons and bantering while some slept in the tent behind them. There were others gathered around the prisoners, “I don’t understand why we can’t just dispose of them. The Nemean Lion couldn’t get some of these _malákas_ to move.” Said a soldier, haphazardly kicking at one of the kneeled prisoners. No response.

 

“While I don’t care much if they live or die, we are under orders.” Replied a soldier near him, not looking up from polishing his helmet. “If you want to be the one to mess with Nahid’s play things, be my guest.”

 

The other soldier maintained a dark glare on the prisoners, “Pft, all we’re gonna do is dump them on the same shores we stole them from. Why do we even feed them then?” He approached the prisoners with heavy steps, malevolence evident in his dark eyes and wicked grin, “What are they doing for _us_?” His hands settled on the buckle of his waist belt as he looked down at the cowering figures.

 

Phoebe glanced at Kassandra with urgent eyes but Kassandra responded by briefly shaking her head. They were outnumbered and the prisoners were in a very vulnerable position. They would have to create a distraction or wait it out. Kassandra chose the former and pulled out her supply pouch. Phoebe clenched her jaw, she was growing tired of waiting.

 

A small whimper escaped the lips of one of the prisoners, a girl around Phoebe’s age with long dark hair. Knots and grime in her hair indicated she’d been with the guards for some time now, and clearly she was fearful of them.

 

“You know, I can think of a few things they could do for us. What do you say Captain?” Said the menacing soldier. He reached down in one swift move and yanked the girl up by her hair. She yelped and tried to resist, but the soldiers vice like grip roughly held her in place.

 

The Captain turned out to be the one sharpening his sword near the fire and spoke up, “I don’t care what you do, Linus, but I don’t want to see or hear any of it.” He said indifferently. Phoebe’s hand twitched to draw for an arrow from her hip, intensely focused on the scene unfolding in front of them. She settled her weight on her haunches, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. Her movement was unnoticed by Kassandra, who was busying herself crafting a makeshift smoke bomb from supplies.

 

Linus leaned down to whisper something in the girls ear that caused a sob to escape her. Tears streaked dirt and grime down her face. Phoebe had enough. Without a second glance behind her, she rose from their hiding spot behind the rock. Kassandra looked up from her task in time to reach forward and yank the teenager backwards by the collar of her leather armor. Phoebe gasped in surprise but the damage had been done. Her foot slipped against the wooden platform, tossing some rocks from the cave floor over across its surface and tumbling down into the open cave. The stone clattered on the second wooden platform below and the soldiers immediately looked up. The sound of weapons unsheathing and soldiers being woken up echoed in the cavern.

  
Fuck.

 

Kassandra gave Phoebe a scolding glare that could have sent Cerberus running away with his tail between his legs, which is exactly what the young _misthios_ wanted to do. No matter, they’d been caught and she was out of time to finish the smoke bomb. The soldiers were encroaching on their position, and they had to act fast. Tossing her half finished distraction aside, Kassandra pushed past Phoebe, “Protect the prisoners.” She ordered without a second look at her. Drawing her spear from behind her, the Eagle Bearer approached the edge of the platform and jumped, thrusting her spear downward into the skull of the soldier about to climb the latter. Phoebe immediately notched three arrows on her bow and struck down Linus, effectively freeing the girl he had been harassing.

 

Phoebe maintained her position up top, firing arrows anytime the soldiers tried to harm the prisoners to keep them at bay as Kassandra picked them off one by one. Kassandra’s fighting looked even more surreal from this distance. She moved from target to target, slashing, stabbing, and kicking with a force like no other. Phoebe snapped out of her momentary awe and jumped down from the platform, unsheathing her kopis and sprinting towards the prisoners.

 

“Move! Up, up.” She shouted from a distance. Half of them were in complete disarray while the others remained kneeling where they were. “Follow me, this way!” She urged. When those kneeling didn’t move, Phoebe panicked and looked around. There were still four soldiers left. Unwilling to defy her mentor’s orders again, Phoebe firmly hauled the remaining prisoners up and shoved them towards another tunnel in the cave-- their way out.

 

Kassandra parried an axe blow before stabbing the heavy soldier in front of her squarely in the chest. _Two left_ , she thought to herself. She felt the air behind her shift but she didn’t have time to properly remove her dagger from the dead soldier's chest. Holding up her forearm, Kassandra grunted when the blade tore through the leather and into her flesh. Blood gushed out immediately as she took as step back, distancing herself from the captain. She had to act quickly and dispose of the remaining soldiers before this injury had a chance to truly hinder her.

 

The captain stared her down, carefully calculating his next move as they circled one another. Kassandra took this moment to take in her peripheries. The injury had distracted her and she’d lost track of the final soldier. She could hear Phoebe shouting at the prisoner’s to move. _Malákas archer! Where are you,_ she thought angrily. The captain took advantage of the moment to lunge at her. Kassandra rolled with his blow, essentially reversing their positions and that’s when she saw it.

 

Behind the captain, the remaining soldier had managed to pry a bow from the dead hands of a comrade. Kassandra’s eyes grew wide with panic as she watched him search for an arrow and aim at an unsuspecting Phoebe.

 

In front of her, the captain lunged again and Kassandra skillfully disarmed him and struck him in the face with the hilt of her spear, pushing him aside. In that same movement, she flipped her spear so that the she was holding the blade and launched it with a roar at the offending archer. Her blade caught him as he released the arrow but just in time to throw off the trajectory. The arrow collided with the cave wall mere inches from Phoebe’s head, releasing a brilliant spark.

 

The young _misthios_ looked up at her mentor with surprise and gratitude. Kassandra let out a sigh of relief and relaxed her shoulders; but Phoebe’s expression suddenly changed into one of intense panic and she reached for her bow. Kassandra instinctively took up a defensive stance, but it was too late. She felt a sudden sharp sensation in her side and let out a cry of pain. She only had a moment to register the presence of the captain now flush against her side, grinning victoriously with wild eyes before hearing a _whoosh!_ and watching an arrow bury itself deep in his skull though his right eye. He was dead on impact and collapsed with a hard thud.

 

Unsupported by his grimy body, Kassandra dropped to one knee with a groan, left arm coming up to clutch her injury. She could feel her body succumbing to the intense pain radiating from her side. “Kassandra!” Phoebe cried, dropping her bow and rushing to her mentor’s side, _Gods help me,_ she begged. She watched as Kassandra tried to stand but her knees gave out again. Phoebe managed to catch her before she fully collapsed, “I have you. Let me help.” Not giving her a chance to protest, she tossed one of her mighty arms over her shoulders, supporting Kassandra towards the tunnel and out the exit they’d been scouting.

 

“Those _fucks,_ ” Kassandra cursed through gritted teeth. She could feel a pain radiating in waves with each step they took, tugging constantly at the injury. It could mean only one thing -- the damned dagger was barbed. This was going to be painful. She peeked down at her side and saw the hilt sticking out of the exposed side of her mediocre armor. _At least it’s a small one,_ she thought to herself. As they passed the body of the dead archer, Phoebe reached down to pull Kassandra’s spear from his neck. Upon grabbing it, she also noticed a piece of expensive parchment with an elegant seal tied to his belt. She quickly snatched it up, too, before continuing to shuffle through the darkness.

 

Waiting for them just outside the cave were the prisoners. Half of them seemed to be in shock while the others looked almost bored to be standing there. Kassandra was beginning to have trouble focusing her vision on their faces, and almost thought she imagined their eyes to be devoid of color. “Ph-Phoebe,” she slurred. Her mind was beginning to feel heavy, sweat forming on her forehead, “I think the blood loss is getting to me.” _Why does my head weigh so much?_ She barely registered the sound of Phoebe’s voice explaining directions for the survivors to head to the coast and find the Adrestia. Kassandra let out a gurgled sigh, stirring up a bloody cough in her throat.

 

Blinding white flashes of pain exploded behind her eyes as her chest spasmed. She was sure to pass out at this rate. Feeling a warm wetness on her finger tips, she rubbed them together tentatively. Maybe that injury to her arm was more serious than she thought?

 

Meanwhile, Phoebe let out a mighty whistle. The sound of powerful hooves in the distance followed shortly after. “Hold on Kassandra. I’m not letting you go anywhere.” Glancing down at her mentor, it took all her strength and self control to not completely lose it in that moment. “I need to put you on the saddle and then we can get you help. Dimitra will make you well. Who better than a student of Hippokrates, hm?” Phoebe was determined to save her mentor--her family. Kassandra had stopped responding, taking to moaning occasionally. This was not good.

 

Ikaros let out a concerned cry as he circled over them, “Ikaros!” Phoebe called, jumping up behind kassandra on the saddle to hold her up. She tore a piece of linen from her clothing and wiped blood away from Kassandra’s arm before tossing it up for the eagle to catch, “Alert Barnabas and Dimitra. They must be ready when we arrive!” The eagle chirped and took off ahead of them.

 

“Hold on, Kassandra.” Phoebe said with determination. The older woman seemed to have all but fully passed out. Her chin rested against her chest but she squeezed at Phoebe’s arm around her waist in acknowledgement. Kicking her heel into Phobos’ side and snapping the reins, Phoebe urged the horse into a sprint, mindful of the jostling she was causing her injured friend but unable to make it better.

 

They disappeared from the vicinity as urgently as they arrived. The night settled once more and the quiet returned, as if a life had not taken a dramatic turn for the worst just seconds ago. Strong hooves grated against the earth, urgently galloping towards safety and fading into the distance.


End file.
